{"id":209946,"date":"2020-04-28T17:35:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T12:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=209946"},"modified":"2020-05-01T13:46:45","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T08:16:45","slug":"chinas-long-march-to-taiwan-sri-lanka-whats-the-endgame-for-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/chinas-long-march-to-taiwan-sri-lanka-whats-the-endgame-for-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"China’s Long March To Taiwan & Sri Lanka:\u00a0What\u2019s The Endgame For The United States?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Patrick Mendis<\/a> and Dominique Reichenbach<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

China is utilizing the novel coronavirus as strategic leverage to vie for global leadership in a post-pandemic era. Meanwhile, due to a lack of visionary leadership, the US continues to falter and maim its international reputation, which could lead to a significant shift in the world order.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Even with its series of initial mistakes in handling the epidemic, China has effectively used a scientific and health-driven approach to combat Covid-19. President Trump\u2019s economic-fueled approach has undermined<\/a> scientists and health professionals and rejected<\/a> his own intelligence and military briefers.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s sweeping geopolitical strategy provides opportunities from Europe to Africa; whereas, Trump White House\u2019s provincial approach uses Taiwan and Sri Lanka as pawns. With his lack of diplomatic acumen and strategic vision for the United States, President Trump\u2019s range of deflections, failures, misgivings, and utter incompetence in the face of Covid-19 presents a victory for China by default.<\/p>\n

Evolving Covid-19 Response<\/span> <\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To deflect blame, President Trump recently announced<\/a> a halt in World Health Organization (WHO) funding while a review is conducted to evaluate its role in \u201cmismanaging\u201d pandemic response. Continuing the pattern of diversion, his own White House trade adviser<\/a> Peter Navarro was recently humiliated for misrepresenting historical facts to conceal mistakes. Yet, to remind Americans he is a \u201ccheerleader<\/a>\u201d for the United States, Trump also ensured<\/a> that his name is printed on stimulus checks, an unprecedented form of retail politics<\/a> with inferiority complex.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Beijing continues to pursue geopolitical ambitions and has emerged as the perceptive leader in humanitarian response. Its \u201cdonation diplomacy<\/a>\u201d has provided<\/a> thousands of masks, ventilators, and even doctors as well as millions in relief aid from Europe to Africa. President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to initially halt<\/a> export of 3M facemasks to the neighboring Canada and beyond. Ironically, the US itself has accepted<\/a> more Chinese aid than it provided to its own people as the \u201cWhite House airlifts medical supplies from China in coronavirus fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Chinese aid to the US and beyond comes after its initial Covid-19 cover-up that endangered<\/a> the world. Some even suggest that China\u2019s generous aid is an attempt to blur<\/a> this memory. However, the aid indeed represents a strategic opportunity to transform the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) into a new Health Silk Road<\/a>, bolstering its global reputation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sino-American Tensions In Taiwan\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Beijing<\/a> and Washington<\/a> spent weeks casting accusations at one another, involving Taiwan and the WHO; however, surprisingly, they seem to be moving towards cooperation<\/a>. On March 26, Trump tweeted<\/a> that he finished a \u201cvery good\u201d conversation with President Xi Jinping, stating \u201cwe are working closely together. Much respect!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ironically, President Trump slighted China by signing the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative or TAIPEI Act<\/a> into law on the very same March 26. The legislation, which China has called \u201cevil<\/a>,\u201d all but recognizes Taiwan\u2019s independence. It encourages other countries to establish relations with Taiwan, promising to increase US \u201ceconomic, security, and diplomatic engagement\u201d with nations that do so. It even threatens to punitively \u201calter\u201d its engagements with nations that undermine Taiwan. Given China\u2019s \u201cone country, two systems\u201d policy and its reunification<\/a> desires, the TAIPEI Act is considered sabotage<\/a> against China.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, the Trump administration hopes that this act will bolster democracy abroad and pressure other countries into choosing partnership with the United States instead of China. The Trump administration believes that the economic and diplomatic benefits in this legislation and the Taiwan Travel Act<\/a> will serve as a more attractive alternative to China\u2019s BRI.<\/p>\n

While this act may enhance US-Taiwan relations, it is nothing more than a lame attempt to curb China\u2019s growing influence. China\u2019s BRI<\/a>\u2014 estimated to incorporate up to $8 trillion in infrastructure development projects and connecting more than 100 countries\u2014 is far more attractive than the futile TAIPEI Act\u2019s subtle threats and vague promises. At this point, there is virtually no benefit for most countries to join US ranks, which suggests that China is successfully shifting the global order<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Action Speak Louder Than Words\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka, for example, is a country becoming increasingly more important to US and Chinese foreign policy goals. US Ambassador Alice Wells called<\/a> Sri Lanka an important piece of \u201creal estate\u201d <\/i>given its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, which would allow the US to sustain maritime supremacy and contain Chinese expansion. However, the US is losing its grip over Sri Lanka made evident by its failure<\/a> to renew its Status of Forces Agreement, even after pledging $480 million in development aid via the Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC). The US and Sri Lanka spent months debating the strings-attached MCC compact, which the Colombo administration ultimately declined<\/a> to sign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile mere days after an urgent request from the Colombo administration, China extended a 10-year $500 million concessionary loan<\/a> to help Sri Lanka manage Covid-19. China has the power of the purse and Sri Lanka is shifting alliances accordingly like many other countries. The TAIPEI Act will be unlikely to sway Sri Lanka from Chinese partnership. Similarly, Taiwan is losing<\/a> diplomatic relationships to China, now only possessing fifteen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before the Covid-19 crisis, the US\u2019s reputation was losing to China. For instance, the United States failed to persuade<\/a> its closest intelligence-sharing alliance of \u201cFive Eyes\u201d\u2014Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK\u2014to choose 5G development partnership with Washington over Beijing\u2019s Huawei.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>China has taken advantage of Covid-19 to pursue economic partnerships that advance its foreign policy goals. Meanwhile, the Trump administration\u2019s shortsighted policies that use Taiwan as a pawn are leading the United States into a natural defeat in geopolitics. If President Trump\u00a0 <\/span>continues to pursue failed policies, distrust allies, and shirk global responsibilities, China will be well-poised to replace the United States as the global leader in a post-pandemic era\u2014not by design but by default. (Courtesy of The National Interest <\/i>in the United States).<\/p>\n

*Dr. Patrick Mendis<\/b><\/a>, a former American diplomat and a military professor, is a Taiwan fellow of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China and a distinguished visiting professor of global affairs at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei. Dominique Reichenbach<\/b>, an American David Boren scholar, served as a research intern and teaching assistant at NCCU. Their views expressed in this analysis do not represent the official positions of the current or past affiliation of their institutions nor the respective governments.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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